1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is directed to a method for measuring accelerations, wherein an ion conductor is subjected to the accelerations, and to an apparatus for performing the method.
2. Description of Related Art
The measurement of accelerations, velocities and rotational speeds is a necessity in a multitude of technical and scientific apparatus. A large number of methods have also been developed for this purpose. These methods are based on a utilization of the inertia of bodies or optical or electrical methods. In particular, during braking or acceleration, the measurement of the developed mechanical forces may be required, which, in part, can be very impractical.
In the case of liquid electrolytes, the possibilities of such acceleration measurements on the basis of ion conductors has already been at least theoretically examined. Thus, for example, in DE-AS 1,086,467 or U.S. Pat. No. 2,735,949, it is explicitly stated that the actual mechanisms are not completely understood. A series of disadvantages are, however, encountered with liquid electrolytes. In particular, in liquid electrolytes, several types of ions are mobile next to each other and, as such, cancel each other out in their effects.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,817 to Mrgudich discloses an acceleration measurement device having two amalgamated silver electrodes which are pressed with a slight pressure against a tablet of silver iodide. However, since the electrical voltages, arising on the basis of inertia forces acting on solid ion conductors, are proportional to the length of the ion conductor, if voltages are to be measured, then the tablet shape of the ion conductor cannot be of the shape shown in Mrgudich, i.e. tablet shape, in that it is too thin to lead to reliable results. Only if charges are measured using a charge magnifier, is it possible to utilize area-shaped (tablet) ion conductors, which are accelerated perpendicularly to the surface. In addition, since the electrodes are pressing against the ion conductor, this can lead to falsification and scattering of the measurement signals up to 50%.